148. Jamieson, B.G.M., Oliver, S.C.
and Scheltinga, D.M. 1996a. The ultrastructure of the spermatozoa of
Squamata--I.
Scincidae, Gekkonidae and Pygopodidae (Reptilia). Acta Zoologica 77,
85-100.
Squamate
autapomorphies seen in sperm of the Scincidae (e.g. Ctenotus
robustus,
Carlia
pectoralis, Cryptoblepharus virgatus, and Lampropholis
delicata)
are penetration of the fibrous sheath of the axoneme into the
midpiece, and the
paracrystalline
subacrosomal cone. Sphenomorphus group
spermatozoa (e.g. Ctenotus)
and the Egernia group (Tiliqua) differ from
the more derived Eugongylus
group (C. virgatus, L. delicata and C.
pectoralis)
in that the acrosome is elongate and apically depressed; the
perforatorium is
strongly oblique;
the midpiece is relatively short, with
four dense ring
structures in
longitudinal succession; mitochondria are
columnar; and enlarged
peripheral
fibres 3 and 8 do not show the gross
anterior enlargement
seen in
Carlia
and Lampropholis. Heteronotia binoei
(Gekkonidae) sperm have
no epinuclear
electron-lucent region; nuclear
shoulders are smooth, as
in sphenomorph
but not Eugongylus group skinks;
mitochondria are
columnar; unlike
skinks, the median surfaces of the
mitochondria are
indented by
triangular, sometimes longitudinally,
interconnected dense
bodies.
In Lialis burtonis (Pygopodidae) sperm, the
perforatorium extends
virtually
to the tip of the fore-shortened apically
domed acrosome; nuclear
shoulders
are absent; the mitochondria alternate
singly or in groups with
one
or more dense bodies which also form an
interrupted collar
around the
distal centriole. Spermatozoal
ultrastructure suggests
that
a common ancestry of snakes and pygopods
deserves consideration.